Rui Túbal, an experienced entrepreneur and mentor, highlights the significance of a customer-oriented approach and mastering the fundamentals as key factors for business success.

Meet Rui Túbal from Delta Cafés

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Rui Túbal, a seasoned Delta employee and one of the program’s mentors, to discuss his experience.

Before delving into our conversation, allow us to provide a brief introduction to Rui. With a strong background in the commercial and marketing fields, particularly in the food and beverage industry, he has proven himself a successful entrepreneur, having co-founded an electric tuk-tuk company with his brother in 2013. Despite experiencing substantial growth, the duo was confronted with the decision of whether to escalate the business or sell it. Given their limited time and resources, they ultimately opted for the latter, which fortunately yielded a favourable outcome.

Rui acknowledges that the startup landscape has indeed transformed significantly in the past decade. However, one critical lesson he learned from his experience mentoring GrinGrin is the importance of taking a customer-oriented approach to the next level. Unlike some businesses that prioritize production, GrinGrin places a strong emphasis on collecting customer input and offering products that align with market expectations. He found this to be a very positive learning experience and believes that it is something for all business people to keep in mind.

Regarding the keys to success in business, Rui emphasizes that passion is indeed a potent fuel, but it is not the sole determining factor. While it may be easy to impress investors with one’s vision and potential, attracting and retaining the right talent is often the greatest challenge. Trust is not easily earned, so it is crucial to be rational and deeply organized. Ultimately, focusing on mastering the fundamentals can go a long way in building a thriving business.